Police investigators are raising issue with what they perceive to be an overlap in jurisdiction and authority by the Chief of Customs into police work which in their view is undermining police work.
Senior officers who asked for anonymity tell KHJ News that they used to have a close working relationship with former Chief of Customs Glenn Lefiti and there was a clear cut delineation of authority between he two law enforcement agencies, Department of Public Safety and Customs.
The police say in the past as soon as customs makes a drug find the police are called and the evidence and suspects are turned over to police who then initiate an investigation at that point.
But they say the current Customs Chief Moetului Sili Fuiava, has come up with his own procedures which according to the officers has been problematic for police investigations and gathering evidence crucial to successful prosecution of offenders.
One officer commented that it’s important that evidence and suspects be turned over to police as soon as there’s a drug find or discovery of other contraband so that the evidence can be taken into custody and any suspects are questioned right away.
But what’s been happening is that the customs chief seems to have taken over police functions and keeping evidence until he feels its right to hand it over to police.
Long serving employees of customs agreed with this assessment.
One agent said the customs chief is over stepping the boundaries of his authority when it comes to handling contraband like drugs and weapons.
He told KHJ News that they had a protocol to follow for interdiction of drugs, guns and other smuggled material which ensured that police are contacted immediately when they make a bust and the police take over.
But he says under the current leadership all that is out the door and they are at the beck and call of the Chief of Customs.
There are no comments from Moetului as he left the island on Friday night.
